Throughout Samurai history, much of the weaponry and protective wear reflected ideals of the coexistence of the values between the chrysanthemum and sword. After visiting the Samurai museum some important artifacts that appeared to be worth analyzing included 2 helmets from the Edo period as well as 3 sets of armor from the Edo and Momoyama period. All of these Japanese helmets and armor suggested the significance of harmony and revolution between the core values of beauty and strength. The exhibit contained several examples of Japanese samurai weaponry and protective wear from various time periods. The first piece examined is a frontal plate of a do (chest armor) made of iron from the Momoyama period in the second half of the 16th century. …show more content…
This chest plate resembled the Buddhist deity Uho-doji surrounded by embossed dragons. It was said to ward off bad luck. The deity was a bodhisattva which was quite a common figure displayed on many samurai armor and in various Japanese art. Bodhisattvas were spiritual guides to those who believed in Buddhist ways of life. Not only did this piece have religious significance, but also during this time period the samurai utilized their armor for warring purposes instead of merely superficial decoration. The armor was crafted of hard solid iron which served to effectively combat European forces of the time. This chest plate was designed to be of the highest quality with advanced features that allowed it to not only deflect arrows and bullets but also provide shock absorption upon impact. “The Momoyama culture was rich and dynamic, fueled by a healthy economy and the energy of a people liberated from the violence of war.” (25) It was crucial that the samurai class were adorned with the boldest most state-of-the-art protective covering possible. With the interest of extending their areas of influence across Asia, it was critical that they maintained their presence by sustaining their large military. This specific frontal plate of a do signified what the samurai stood for. They were not only focused on the amount of protection it would provide but also fancied the underlying symbolic and intricate artistic detail given to the armor itself. Another intriguing piece preserved in the museum was the Awabi uchidashi kabuto which was popular from the early to mid Edo period, around 17th-18th century. This helmet assumed a unique embossed seashell-shape. The distinct form was produced with a specific technique called uchidashi. This process involved molding the iron sheets without reducing the thickness of the metal. It weighed around 7lb made of iron lacing and contained leather as well as bronze and gold detailing. The top portion of the kabuto were two plates conjoined with an iron rope-like pattern that hides the seam. This design became very popular among samurai armor after the Momoyama period which was influenced by European armor. However unlike the Momoyama period, in the Edo period the samurai left the battlefield and pursued bureaucratic positions. They resembled an elite class, and with no warfare came the gradual loss of their military function. Therefore it can be said that the helmet served mainly as an exterior fashion statement of sorts. The complexity and elaborateness of the piece directly correlated to the status of the samurai which meant intricacy was essential for an optimal outward appearance. Not only were the helmets centered around a sophisticated external display but the chest armor was as well. For example, the Yukinoshitado from the museum which existed during the mid Edo period around the 18th century was once again composed of the commonly utilized metal, iron. Unlike other armor, this complex do (chest armor) was characterized by its gold and silver engraving. The inscriptions on the section in the back were a part of a Buddhist mandala called a gohonzon. The gohonzon exemplified the state of enlightenment and particularly the basis of the Lotus Sutra in this case. The front region of the armor showed a four-headed and ten-armed Buddhist god, Tohachi Bishamonten, riding on a shishi lion. As the god of war and warriors who “guards capital cities from foreign invaders”, Bishamonten was a suitable figure to be planted on the front of a chest plate. More historical significance of this piece originated from the fact that it was most likely worn by Buddhist warrior monks who trained with a variety of weapons including, bows and arrows, swords, and even pole arms. Evidence states that, for the preservation of their hobbies they were required to participate in battles throughout Japanese military history as early as the Gempei Wars in the 12th century. Although it was a peaceful period, samurai were still required to reflect what it means to be a warrior as exemplified in the writings of Bushido which is defined as being acquainted with historical knowledge and well equipped with skill in the martial arts to be deemed worthy by their class and lords. As they took power in court, this was their way of adopting the aesthetic sensibilities of courtiers. Moving into the late Edo period around the 19th century, the Kawari kabuto became a popular helmet worn by samurai.
It was essentially an elaborately shaped representation of a Korean hat made of iron, leather, gold, and lacquer. Due to its conical shape it was relatively lighter than other helmets weighing about 4lb. This cone like bowl was layered with lacquered leather to prevent decay. The neck guard of the helmet is made of iron plates joined by metal fragments. Detailing such as the metal ornament etched with an image of a dragon wielding a sword symbolize the mythical significance of an ever so majestic creature being capable of having so much power and strength suggesting a parallel to the samurai’s ideals of artistic appeal and force to exist …show more content…
side-by-side. In the late Edo period around 1854 armor such as Tengu tosei gusoku grew in demand as there were substantial changes made making it the “equipment of the time”.
This type of armor was worn not only by common samurai but high ranking military commanders as well. Armor became a symbol of family lineage that was passed down from generation to generation among the shoguns and lords. They reflect the highest craftsmanship encouraged by the enlightenment and historical revivalism of Japan who recently outgrew isolation and introspection soon after the Tokugawa shogunate closed the borders to foreigners. Tengu, a Japanese folklore mythical creature, is represented in this suit of armor. It is made of iron, lacquer, vegetable fiber, bear fur, feathers, and fabric. The helmet which accompanies it weighs around 8lb. Tengu were believed to be exquisite half crow half human swordsmen. They practiced their skill in forests while simultaneously protecting them but were notorious for being tricksters. Buddhist warrior monks were known to have close ties with them which is where this armor is said to have originated. When worn it was thought that this suit of armor would allow one to undertake the characteristics of a tengu. The helmet portion of this attire is the head of a teenage with a sharp beak and illuminated eyes. To further replicate the tengu appearance feather shaped attachments covered in bear fur are placed around the neck guard. Every aspect of this suit of armor accentuates
refined human musculature. In this time of peace artisans were able to elevate their talents to unprecedented artistic levels.
Samurais or a knight? The question was, who would win the battle? A samurai - a samurai? Or a king of a knight? Of course they both have their advantages and disadvantages, but they also both have things in common that they can't do.
In the ancient Japanese culture, one great aspect was on how they emphasized on the intrinsic themes of loyalty and honor. They had fierce warriors known as samurai’s. A samurai was a traditional warrior who would protect and be loyal to their masters no matter what. They were known to be skilled soldiers, benevolent men, self-sacrifice, sense of shame, along with other major characteristics that embodied them as a samurai. While this class of warrior no longer exist today, the remembrance of a samurai is present in the minds of the characters in the novel, The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. Tsukiyama does a fascinating piece of work by really elaborating and describing the great attributes that Matsu possess of a true samurai. In the
Japanese Samurai-What did they wear? What weapon did they use? How were they physically and
As learners of Europe and Japan, the question “ who would win a battle-a samurai or knight” is commonly kept in mind. A samurai and knight are similar in many ways. A samurai would mostly win the battle because they have better weapons, armor, and training. While knights and samurai have many similarities, in a one on one battle, the advantage would be to the samurai and this can be seen in weapons, armor, and training.
According to Document C “Japan Memoirs of a Secret Empire”, talks about how the samurai and knights both started training at a young ages. The knights started training at ages 4-5 a little earlier than the Samurai who started training at 6-7. The Samurai training only lasted until they were 14 unlike the knights whose training lasted until they were 21. Although, the samurai training was shorter they still covered all the important areas. They also had similar armor and both consisted of metal. The samurai had a little bit more movement in their arms, but the armor was used for the same reasons, protection. Document D by Terry Bennett says, “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm so they could easily draw their bow.” These similarities were significant because without these things both classes would lose the battle every time, and if they didn’t have armor they would get killed, and these similarities is one of the reasons the two groups are so alike. Both of the classes were so a like that’s it’s hard to acknowledge their
In the book Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieval Japan, Karl Friday focuses on war in early medieval Japan. A central thesis could be the political primacy of the imperial court. (Lamers 2005) This is the tenth through fourteenth centuries, before the samurai became prominent in Japan and were trying to form themselves into more of what we think of them today. Friday focuses on five aspects of war in his book; they are the meaning of war, the organization of war, the tools of war, the science of war, and the culture of war.
European knights wore armor that is made of metal. Due to the metal armor, their whole body was protected very well, and yet it was too heavy. In addition, it sometimes even limited knight’s vision and breathing ability because of the large protection of the helmet. In contrast, samurai’s armor was very light compared to the knight’s. “Samurai wore armor that is made of leather and steel laced together with silk cords.” Therefore, samurai was able to move quickly and agilely. However, samurai’s armor had less protection for their body, making them more vulnerable than knights. Their weapons had some differences as well. The primary weapons of knights were the long lance and the sword, but they also used poleaxe, dagger, and mace. The sword was always the foundational weapon of knights, whereas, the sword was not the one of the major weapons for samurais. Samurais primarily used the bow and arrow and the Yari that is, “One of the Japanese traditional blades in the form of a
Japan lasted from 1185-1603. During that time Japan had emperors, shoguns, daimyos, samurai, and peasants who were all apart of a social class, and all together it was called the Samurai Society. The emperor was just a figurehead for the shogun. The shogun was a powerful military leader that ruled in the emperor’s name. Daimyo were powerful landlords. The daimyo often led armies of samurai. These samurai were trained professional warriors who served daimyo and shoguns. The samurai had to follow a certain code of rules for samurai called Bushido. One of their rules included to always have self-discipline to become a good samurai. The samurai warriors wore light armor, helmets (usually shaped like an animal), and had two swords around their waist. Their armor had a lot of detail and color to it, like their unique helmets. After the samurai comes the peasants, which included farmers and fishermen. They usually always work, then pay takes to the shogun. They usually gave the shogun what they earned from working like food or crops. What made their jobs a bit difficult was their topography. Japan’s topography included many mountains, undersea volcanoes, and barely any flat land to farm on. The Japanese didn’t only work they also practiced their religion. For example, they practiced Confucianism, Buddhism (...
Haniwa warrior was made during the Kofun period (300BC-552BC). It was build from basic clay cylinders and more abstract shapes, such as human figures, houses, and animals. These sculptures always several feet in height with a built up forms. Japanese also used coil method to form the overall shape which makes the result tens very similar with the Qin Terracotta. This figure is wearing similar outfits compare with the northern horsemen during the Six Dynasties period (220 BC–589 BC). It shows the influence of culture context. Unlike Qin warrior, the Japanese placed Haniwa on the top of the grave mound. According to the Gardner’s Art through the Ages, the variety of figure types suggests that haniwa functioned not as military guards but as a spiritual barrier protecting both the living and the dead from contamination. It is very clear that haniwa is treated as a door which separate people from the living and the
Bushido - ???- the feudal-military Japanese code of behavior; the way of the warrior [samurai] Japanese chivalry [knighthood]
From the animated mega city of Tokyo, to the serene zen gardens with rustic ponds home to the koi fish, Japan has a unique past, present, and future. The alcove ornament samurai houses called, shoin-zukuri are a symbol of the struggling past that Japan escaped. These samurai houses were training centers long ago of judo, sumo, and other martial arts. Lush trees envelope houses, and the religion Shintoism was developed back in 500 A.D. Paintings and drawings capture the grace and beauty the landscape portrays. The Japanese dragons reveal the legends held within themselves, many are associated with rainfall and the ability to reach peace. Seeking farther inland you witness the largest city in the world, Tokyo. Cars, buses, subway systems, taxis, and bicycles are buzzing through every street, going to and from work, quickly advancing technology.
Militarization of Aesthetics in Japanese History. Chicago: the University of Chicago Press, 2002. 122-124. Print.
Japanese sword history spans several centuries. It is commonly divided into five major periods, the Jokoto and Koto periods or the ancient swords, pre-650 A.D, and the old swords from post-650 A.D. until 1596 A.D. when the Shinto...
In Japan, especially during the earlier periods of Japanese history such as the Tokugawa, physical adeptness was much revered and valued. This was mainly because of the fact that these strengths were the basis on which much of the population depended upon for survival during these fairly turbulent periods. Throughout time, Japan has been a very organized and scrupulous society, and even its style of physical combat has been sorted into specific categories according to what particular method is being used or referred to. These ways of fighting, primitive in the fact that they do not use automated weapons, are generally called “Martial Arts” and include the following categories: Kenjutsu, which uses swords, Kyudo, which is archery, and unarmed forms of combat such as Jujutsu, Sumai, and Karate, which are the major techniques. The Martial Arts of Japan, especially during the Tokugawa period, was very relevant to the society and played, and still plays, an important role in Japanese culture. The history and evolution, use in everyday life, and specific characteristics of these Japanese Martial Arts will be thoroughly explored during the course of this paper.
There are many historical aspects of the Japanese, but the most interesting is the history of the Samurai. In Japans history war played a large role in the country. Controlling clans fought for parts of the land and overall control of the country. These clans were powerful families that resided in the country and who all wanted power and control of Japan for themselves. The families that would be in control were known as Shoguns. These shoguns would have warriors that fought for them if any of the other clan families would try to attack him in order to overthrow him and take his power from him. The Samurai followed a code that developed from Chinese beliefs when in battle. The Samurais code was known as the Bushido. This code was also known as “The Way of The Warrior” which was the main belief s...